Love Will Always Find Us
by BarbleeHeartie71
Summary: This is my take on how the story should have gone when the Mountie came to town looking for Elizabeth. Takes place right after he says "I'm sorry" and continues from there.


Elizabeth Thornton let out a sigh as she held on to her husband Jack's hand and stared at his pale face. It had been roughly two weeks since the young Mountie had come to Hope Valley with what she thought was the worst news she could have ever received. The man had been so nervous, never having had to deliver news like that before, had only been able to say "I'm sorry" to her before she collapsed to the ground, thinking her beloved husband was dead. He quickly got the attention of Abigail and shook his head, letting Abigail know that Jack wasn't dead. Abigail then calmed her down and nodded to the Mountie to tell the rest of his news. Jack had pushed some of his trainees out of the way of a coming landslide only to be taken downhill with it, where he landed in a shallow creek. It had taken almost a full day to locate him, still alive, barely. They quickly brought him to the hospital, where Elizabeth now sat, He was diagnosed with pneumonia again.

Since that day, Elizabeth refused to leave his side, much like she had before. Everything was eerily the same as before but yet so different. As the days went by, while Jack remained the same, she began to noticing changes in herself. She started to feel sick a lot, especially in the mornings, she would often fall asleep with her head on his chest in the middle of the afternoon, she had no appetite and started getting headaches and dizzy spells. A few days before, she realized she hadn't had her monthly since before the wedding. She felt excited at the prospect that she might be having Jack's baby but oh so worried he might not make it and she would have to raise their child alone. She kept putting off talking to a doctor until the day before yesterday when she fainted getting up from the chair next to Jack's bed. She fell hard to the floor and broke her wrist in the process. One of Jack's nurses was in the hallway just outside his room when Elizabeth passed out and called out for another nurse to help get Elizabeth up. Once they had Elizabeth lying down on the little sofa in his room, they called for a doctor to examine Elizabeth. They had been concerned about her for some time, noticing that she wasn't eating and seeing her have dizzy spells occasionally. When they finally convinced her to see a doctor, he confirmed what she had suspected; she was pregnant. She was happy, yet sad about the news. She was thrilled to be carrying Jack's baby but felt the urgency to try to get him to wake up. He had to live so they could raise their child together, in the house Jack was going to build for them.

Late in the evening two days after she had the pregnancy confirmed, Elizabeth was lying down on the bed the nurses insisted on bringing into Jack's room so she could get more rest. She was thinking about the situation and how to try to get Jack to come back to her. She remembered him telling her the last time that he had heard bits and pieces of what she had said to him while he lay silent and feverish. Maybe that's what she needed to do now. She decided that even though she wanted to see the expression on his face when she told him her news, maybe telling him now would help to bring him back to her. She felt it was much more important that he wake up than for her to see his face when she told him about the baby. She slowly got up and walked over to his bed, taking a sit next to him.

"Jack, honey." She said softly while she grabbed his hand and placed it on her abdomen. "I hope you can hear me because I have something very important to tell you." She paused to wipe away the tears that were already falling. This was so hard. "Jack, I'm going to have a baby and I need for you to wake up for me, for us. I love you so much and I can't do this alone. You see, while you were away all those months up North, I used to imagine what our life would be like once you returned. One of the things I loved thinking about was telling you I was going to have a baby, your baby. I imagined the expression on your face when you heard the news, you helping me through morning sickness by holding my hair away from my face and rubbing my back, you protectively holding me so I wouldn't trip and fall due to my clumsiness, making me breakfast in bed and helping with chores around the house, watching your face as you feel the baby move for the first time inside me and most of all I imagined you being by my side while I give birth, not caring that men weren't supposed to be with their wives during childbirth. Then I would picture you holding our brand new baby in your arm, tears of joy falling down your face and love shining in your eyes. Please wake up so we can share this experience together." She brushed her cheeks while starting at his face, hoping he would wake up that instant but knowing it could take more time. She stood up and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Jack Thornton. I'm going to bed now. I need some rest." With one last kiss, she went to the washroom to change, then crawled into bed, falling asleep within minutes of her head hitting the pillow.

Sometime later, in the early hours of the morning with the night sky beginning to fade to dawn, Jack began moving in bed and slowly opened his eyes. He tried to lift his head to look around but felt so weak. He laid his head back down on his pillow but as he did, his eyes caught site of something across the room. He thought he saw his beautiful wife, so he willed himself to find the strength to lift his head again, a small smile gracing his face when he realized he was right. His love, his Elizabeth lay sleeping just a few feet away from him. He looked around the room and realized he was in a hospital. That's when he remembered the landslide. As he tried to recall more of it, other memories started to flood his mind. Elizabeth! He remembered hearing her say she was pregnant! Or did he dream that? He hoped he didn't dream that because the thought of Elizabeth carrying his baby made his heart swell with love and fill with excitement. He imagined helping her if she had morning sickness, bringing her breakfast in bed, making sure she didn't trip and fall by holding her firmly around her waist, feeling the baby surge with life inside her, being by her side while she was in labor and seeing the baby as soon as he or she was born.

Jack lay in bed for quite some time hoping she would wake up soon and trying to figure out if his memories were real or a dream. Finally he couldn't wait any longer; he slowly sat up in bed, trying to ignore his aching muscles. He looked over at his wife and noticed a cast on her arm. He frowned, wondering what happened. "Elizabeth?" He called out. She didn't awake up. "Elizabeth, wake up, Sweetheart!" He said louder. When she still didn't rouse, he pulled himself out of bed, ignoring his pains and slowly made his way to her bed. It was next to a small sofa so he gingerly lowered himself down. He ran his hand through her hair and down her face, stroking her cheek. She started to wake up and when she turned her head towards him, he gently kissed her.

As Elizabeth began to wake up, she felt a sudden warmth she had remembered feeling on the last night of their honeymoon, when they were heading to Jack's new assignment. She was so tired that it took her a couple of minutes to open her eyes. When she finally opened them, she saw Jack's face just a few inches from her, a worried look in his eyes. "Jack?" She couldn't believe he was sitting there this close to her. Was she dreaming? How could he be up and out of bed when just a few hours ago she left him sleeping with no signs that he would wake up. "Am I dreaming?" She asked.

Jack put his arms around his beautiful wife and pulled her close to his body. She laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat as she began to cry happy tears. She felt a few tears fall onto her head and she leaned back to look at his handsome face. She reached a hand out to stroke his cheek. "No, I'm not dreaming. You really are awake and holding me." She kissed him then, feeling the love he had for her as his lips touched hers.

When they parted, Jack looked into her eyes. "Elizabeth, tell me. Was I dreaming when I heard you say…." He trailed off, not able to voice what he was thinking, afraid that what heard her say was just a dream. He felt her hand grab his and looked down as she placed it on her abdomen. He returned his gaze to her face and with tears flowing from both of them, he replied to her. "No, I wasn't dreaming. You really are having my baby, our baby." He grinned though his tears as he gently pulled her back into his embrace. "When I woke up, I had images in my mind of you being pregnant. Of me helping you with morning sickness, bringing you breakfast in bed, feeling the baby move inside you for the first time, helping you through labor and holding our baby in my arms for the first time. I'm so happy, Sweetheart and so glad I didn't dream it."

Elizabeth smiled at him. "I think you heard almost every word I said to you. I had wanted to tell you about the baby after you woke up so I could see your reaction but I thought back to when you had pneumonia the last time. You said you remembered some of what I talked to you about. So I decided to tell you I am pregnant and hope that it would help you come back to me." She kissed him again.

"It did, Sweetheart. I was in a dark abyss before I heard those words. I knew you were here but I was so sick that I couldn't bring myself to wake up. Until you said you were pregnant. I knew I couldn't leave you to raise our child by yourself and then I remembered the telegram I received from Mountie Headquarters the morning of the landslide."

Elizabeth grew fearful. Jack could see the how frightened she was and held her tight. It made him wonder if he really should tell her about the telegram and if should maybe consider leaving the Mounties. He had put her through so much over the last year and a half. He would have to think on that some and have a conversation with Elizabeth. In the meantime, he would concentrate on the present. "I'm sorry that I am scaring you. It's not bad news, like them telling me they have another assignment for me" He gently lifted her chin up and kissed her. "The telegram said I have a new indefinite assignment, In Hope Valley. I may have to leave every so often to go give testimony or file reports but I will not be expected to leave for any long periods of time."

"Oh Jack! That's the best news I have ever heard!" She hugged him with her right arm.

"Well, it is good news, but I think yours was the best." He held onto her for several minutes. He felt her hand rub his back and it reminded him he wanted to know what happened to her arm. He reluctantly pulled out of her embrace. He carefully picked up her left arm so he didn't cause her any pain. "Sweetheart, what happened to your arm?"

Elizabeth looked away. She didn't want to tell him what happened because she knew his overprotective streak would kick in but she also knew she couldn't keep it from him. They promised each other no more secrets. "I'm a little afraid to tell you."

"Why, Sweetheart? Are you afraid I'm going to be angry? You know you can tell me anything."

"I do know that and I know you won't be mad but I know you won't want to hear it either." He looked at her, confused. "Ok. Shortly after I arrived here I began feeling under the weather. Actually, it started before I left Hope Valley but I didn't think too much of it until after I got here. I had a lot of time to think while I was sitting here, in between talking to you. As my symptoms continued, I realized I may be pregnant, but I was afraid to talk to one of the doctors about it."

"Why, Elizabeth…" He trailed off, realizing what she must be thinking. "You were afraid of having to raise the baby alone." He felt guilty. He had put her through a lot of the last few years, getting pneumonia twice and being gone in the Northern Territories where he very easily could have died. "I'm so sorry, Sweetheart. I have put you through so much." He tried to continue but his words were swallowed by her lips as she kissed him. When they parted, he looked at her with questioning eyes.

"Jack, don't feel that way. The dangers of your job are always going to be something that I worry about but I am learning to deal with them. I think it was worse for me this time because I have pregnancy hormones racing through my body. Everything makes me want to cry or get angry. Raising our baby alone was a scary thought for me but if I had to do it, I would. Everyone back home would help me and you would be keeping a special close eye on me and our little one for the rest of our days. I'm glad I don't have to do this alone now."

Jack took her uninjured hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. He smiled at her as he held onto her hand with his. "I love you so much, Elizabeth, and I hate the thought that my job has brought some stress into your life. I wish I could say that I would never have to leave you again for any amount of time but at least it will be for a short period of time. I promise right here, right now, that if they want me to go to Headquarters around the time our little one is to arrive, I will quit. No way am I leaving you then to handle this alone. I want to be with you when you are in labor and I want to be there when the baby arrives. I want to hear his or her first cry and maybe be the one who hands him or her to you." A tear went down his cheek as he spoke and he noticed his beautiful wife was crying too. He took her in his arms and they just held each other.

"Oh, Jack that's so sweet." They held each other for a few more minutes before Elizabeth pulled away from him. "A couple of days ago, I stood up from the chair by your bed to stretch and take a walk. I got lightheaded and tried to sit back down. I guess I fainted because the next thing I remember is a couple of the nurses were waking me up. Once they got me situated on the couch, they told me that they heard a crash from your room and they ran in to find me on the floor, my body on top of my arm."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise and he looked scared. "Oh my goodness, Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth could tell by the look on his face what he was thinking. She could read him like a book and knew he was feeling guilty about taking that assignment. She brought her hand to his face and stroked his cheek, hoping it would calm him down. He grabbed her hand with his and let it rest on his face, helping him to realize he shouldn't be feeling guilty. When she saw that he was feeling better she continued her story. "After I woke up, the nurses started asking me questions. I think they suspected I was pregnant because they noticed some of the symptoms I was experiencing. I agreed to see a doctor and he confirmed the pregnancy first, then looked at my arm. I had an X-ray done and it revealed I had fractured my wrist."

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you. I know you don't blame me for any of it but I still feel a little guilty." He gently picked her sore arm and brought her hand to his lips, kissing it all over as if he was trying to kiss her injury away. Elizabeth thought about telling him again they he didn't need to feel that way but she knew her words would fall on deaf ears. Instead she scooted closer to him and laid her head on his chest, listening once again to his heart. She heard him sigh happily as he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Elizabeth. So much! I love our baby and I can't wait until he or she arrives." He whispered in her ear. They stayed in each other's arms for a quite a while until the door to his room opened and one of the nurses walked in. She was surprised to find her patient not in his bed.


End file.
